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Monday, April 16, 2012

Beetroot Quinoa

Quinoa has become a part of our regular diet nowadays, I have started replacing rice with it in many of our dishes. Even if I am not preparing a special dish with it, we mix it (instead of rice) with dal or sambar. I made this simple but yummy combination of quinoa with beetroot, if you like beetroot rice or curry, then you should definitely give this a try..Need To Have

Cooked Quinoa - 2 cups

Beetroot - 1 small grated

Fresh peas - 1/2 cup

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Urad Dal - 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Curry Leaves - 10

Chopped Coriander - 1/4 cup

To Grind

Green Chillies - 3

Grated Ginger - 1 tablespoon

Coriander Seeds - 1 tablespoon

Method
Cook quinoa according to the instructions on the packet and cool it. Grind the ingredients given under to grind. Heat oil, add the mustard seeds and urad dal, once the spluttering stops, add the asafoetida and curry leaves followed by the ground paste. Saute it for a 2 to 4 mins till the raw smell goes, add the grated beetroot, peas and salt, mix, cover and cook. Once it is done, reduce the heat and mix in the quinoa. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve warm.

Note
Can cook the peas separately and add it at the end, to retain its green color.
Can garnish with some roasted cashews or peanut for an extra crunch.
Do not overcook the quinoa, otherwise the dish would turn mushy.

This is a very creative dish-the first I have seen with this combo! No doubt the beet root lends a lot of flavor to the quinoa, which makes for one tasty bite. Also, the health factor is another bonus. Well done!